


Water of Shame

by Cinnafox



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Jean didn’t mean to, M/M, Mild Language, Protective Eren, Somewhat crack, kinda angst, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 18:10:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20999132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnafox/pseuds/Cinnafox
Summary: It was an accident and Armin fell into shame and it only took one bystander to burst out laughing for a crowd follow after with all eyes on him, drenched and shamed.[Based on prompt]





	Water of Shame

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt :  
'Person a accidentally falls into a pond/stream trying to reach something and person b is the bystander who bursts out laughing’ 
> 
> All written in my phone ><  
Errors ahead I guess.

Perhaps it was another mundane day on the the campus ground. Semester break was only a week away and Jean already feel the summer hibernation creeping in. He hated summer, it gets too hot that his body feels all sluggish and tired, he just want to curl up in bed with the a/c up on full blast. Yea, he looked forward to that.

Sitting on one of the benches with friends, well sort of friends. In the circle of peeps, the only one whom he considered a friend was Marco, because they grew up in the same neighbourhood and their mom’s were high school friends so naturally they were too. The others though, well they just like being around him for some odd reason, barely pay any attention to them. However, naturally, he was just light-hearted and friendly and didn’t mind anyone’s company.

While his friends were chatting on gossips and trends. His eyes were staring far ahead at the bridge between the small riverbank on the campus ground where koi and turtles swim around. Everything seemed to be tuned out as muffled background that he didn’t even make out a single word Marco was saying. He wasn’t paying any attention, until he saw a particular blond and his two dark haired best friends walking up the bridge.

Armin Arlert, his hair so bright like the summer’s sun only seem to shimmer under the morning sun. His eyes were doe wide and blue as the skies. He was laughing and smiling with his friends. Internally scoffing, he had never seen Armin like that with anyone but only his best-friends, speaking of which, Eren was the one he tend to have a problem with, they’d banter and bicker and even get into physical fights because of an disagreement which lurch into unnecessary insults and threats. Mikasa well, she seems to always be backing Eren up regardless of his own stupidity. Armin though, he was just there, coincidentally. They’ve never spoke, blue eyes always shifting away before Jean could even smile.

Armin suddenly halted and placed his bag on the ledge. Mikasa and Eren turned and Armin only waved them away while searching in his bag-pack apprehensively. Eren and Mikasa looked slightly concern but the assured smile from Armin made his two friends nod before walking ahead of him.

Jean only watch; Armin’s innocent eyes grew wary and mumbled something to himself. Then Armin gasped in surprised as he tried to catch something that fell from his bag, his one hand outstretched while the other clutching to his opened bag. Hands grabbing onto thin air and his feet automatically tip forward causing his body to lean over, losing his balance, he fell into the man-made river bank causing a loud splash.

Jean’s eyes widen, choking a snort before he lost control and burst out laughing. Clutching onto his stomach, eyes squeezed in hilarity. It didn’t take even a second for most of the student in the large field to guffaw along.

Marco only blinked at Armin who stood still with his head hung low, drenched from head to toe. Feeling his chest tighten in empathy, he turn to look at Jean who was still laughing, he knew Jean. Jean was his best-friend whom he grew up with, and by the looks of it as Jean lifted his head and realised that everyone was laughing at Armin, the twisted guilt in his eyes. Jean didn’t mean for it to happen this way.

“You fucking asshole!” Was Eren’s furious growl, marching towards Jean and before Marco could even say anything, a tight punch was sent to Jean’s way throwing him off from  
the bench and onto the ground. Eren was already straddling on Jean’s stomach, fisting every chance he have on Jean’s face.

“E-Eren!” Marco tried, standing up from the bench but his breath hitched at the glare that Eren stab him with. He gulped and stepped back.

While Jean and Eren were screaming at each other’s throat. Marco looked over to where Armin was, Mikasa was already by his side, helping him with his bag. His head was still hung low as his wrist was guided by Mikasa.

“Eren,” Mikasa called as she approach the two boys on the grown who were having a fistful. “Eren, stop.” Mikasa ordered and Eren glanced briefly before reluctantly getting off from Jean and kicking him on the ground once more.

“Being a douchebag to me is one thing but you never—“ Eren kicked his stomach, causing him to grunt “Ever fucking mess with my friend!” Eren glared and snatched Armin’s drenched bag from Mikasa and stormed off. Mikasa glared down and pulled Armin behind her.

“Hey, Armin. What were you doing anyway? How did you even—“ “Eren,” Mikasa cut Eren’s sentences. Eren paused on his steps and look behind. Armin had his head hung low, his shoulders were shuddering and his biting sniff were audibly painful. Eren’s fiery eyes sunk into one of pity.

“Armin,” Eren tried but he didn’t know how to comfort him. It was usually Armin who does all the comforting and calming his nerves down. And well, Eren was nothing but a bag of angry emotional fits that Armin had to deal with. Now with his friend who was always smiles and positivity is down in a puddle of misery, he can only stare.

Eren started off with a small laugh, anyway. “I guess we’ll need to borrow Mikasa’s hair dryer, ugh girls things comes in handy now I guess.” that seemed to work as Armin sniffed and one free hand coming to his face to wipe his eyes. Mikasa smiled thinly when the tension seem to wear off from Armin’s shoulder.

“Guess so,” Armin muttered, eyes now level with theirs. He smiled gratefully, “Sorry, Mikasa” Armin said softly and Mikasa smiled in return “It’s okay, I don’t think I need to teach you how to use it.” with that the two boys laughed and continue making their way towards the swimming facility to get towels to dry Armin off, since it would take time to travel back to the dormitory and back again to their classes which starts in ten minutes.

It was a thing that Armin does whenever he needed comfort and loosen the tension and tightness in his chest; he’d reach out to his finger and fiddle with his gold ring that was made by his late-grandfather specially for his seventh birthday. It was all that was left when he was forced to move into the orphanage.

However, to his horrific dismay. The ring that clung around his slim middle finger was empty. Feeling his chest tight and spine chilled. His heart rate pounded in his ear. He looked down on his finger and both his hands. They were pale and bare.

Panic rising in his stomach that he could barf right on the spot. “Armin, what’s wrong?” Mikasa asked, he was pale as ghost and sprinted back. Ignoring Eren’s call to him.

Almost tripping and losing his balance, he ran desperately back to the open compound, ignoring then small laughs and mockery made of him.

Already loosing his breath and heart pounding deafeningly in his ears and throbbing in his chest. He desperately search the grasses by the small river. Hands desperately feeling through the trimmed greenery.

“Where, where, where” was all that screamed in his head.

“What is he doing?” A girl from Jean’s group asked as they all stare at him. Rubbing his bruised cheek bone, Jean only blinked at Armin, he swore he could hear Armin mumbling to himself like mantra, as though praying for his own life.

Armin’s head snapped to the riverbank. Eyes wide, he was seriously close to vomiting from the twists his stomach made and how his chest seem to be tangling around his heart. Without a thought he dove into the river. Hands feeling through the small peddles and stones, only rising back up to gasp and back into the river. His eyes were stinging in the semi-murky water, koi swum away from his approaching hands.

“Where is it?!” Armin screamed. Jean swore it sounded like a cry and without hesitation he ran towards the riverbank.

“Oi, oi— what are you doing?” Jean shouted as Armin dove back in. Jean stepped into the river and pulled Armin up by the shoulder, the young blond coughed and gasped desperately, body ready to dive back in despite the lack of breath he took in but was held back by Jean’s grip.

“What are you crazy? You’re going to—“ Armin dove in again and Jean pulled him back up before he could utter another word Armin said between gasps “My-my ring! I need to find my ring— that’s all I have— my grandfather’s—please— help me!” despite being completely soaked, Jean could see the tears streaming from his redden eyes, Armin dove back in again and this time searching a few inches away.

“Ri-ring?” Jean stammered, how is he to search for a god damn tiny ring in the flowing water filled with kois and turtles, it’s either buried deep within the pebbles or a gold fish blobbed the ring in. “Damn it.” Jean grunted and dove in. His eyes stung as he tried to look into the murky waters, his hands feeling against the current and fingers digging into the stones and pebbles.

Jean and Armin sprung up and then back down, Armin more hastily, coming back up as water came rushing through his nose. Clutching onto his head as he felt the sting taht rushed in. Coughing and scratching painful breaths.

As Jean dug his fingers into the stones, a tiny golden spark popped from the impact and flowed with the current. Eyes widen, his hands chase after it and managed to grasp just before a large orange koi came swooping past his fist.

He gasp up and heaved heavy breaths from the lack of oxygen. Wiping down his face “I found it!” he announced and Armin raised from the waters, turning towards Jean attempting to sprint but ended up tumbling against the waters, splashing his way through.

Jean unclasp his hand and there laid a golden ring, glistening from the summer sun. Armin stared wide eyed, gasping a whimper, his hand were shaky as he reach for it and Jean assisted the ring to Armin, afraid he might slip the ring into the waters again. Jean fitted the the ring in Armin’s middle finger and stood back, he watch as relief drew on his face.

Armin clutched his ring finger close to his chest as though protecting a tiny creature within. When he looked up at Jean, his eyes glimmered, his eyes were so blue Jean was drowning in them, he had never seen eyes so captivating and enticing, he only stared as the both of their shallow breath became even and calm.

“Thank you” Armin sighed out and slowly he rest his head on Jean’s chest, leaning in with his hands still on his own chest between them. Jean stood frozen. Feeling a little giddy than need be. Slowly, he brought his arms up and circled the small frame, they fitted so perfectly. The hint of eucalyptus and chamomile tickled his nose briefly, Armin smelled nice.

“Ar-Armin, right?” Jean asked surprised by the likeness of it rolling in his tongue.

“Mm” Armin hummed.

It was surprising that Eren actually have a nice friend, and pretty too. He remembered Armin to be smart, he was in one or his minor classes but never actually got the chance to interact. 

“Listen, Armin. I’m so—“

“You fucking bastard Jean!” Came Eren’s war cry from the distant.

“Not again.” Jean sigh exasperatedly.

**Author's Note:**

> I love this ship so much ;w;


End file.
